Aircraft maintenance tracking system

ABSTRACT

An aircraft maintenance tracking system for tracking aircraft maintenance required on an aircraft includes means for tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft, means for receiving a list of routine tasks required to be performed on the aircraft, means for tracking task accomplishment data for each routine task, means for determining a maintenance due point for each routine task, means for identifying maintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which a difference between the maintenance due point of the routine task and the accumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-defined critical value, and means for reporting maintenance due tasks.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Provisional Application No.60/168,400, filed Dec. 1, 1999 for “Computerized Aircraft MaintenanceTracking Programming System” by Barry Sinex. Reference is hereby made tothe following copending applications, which were filed on even date withthe present application: “Dynamic Aircraft Maintenance ManagementSystem”, by Barry Sinex, application Ser. No. 09/728,773, filed Dec. 1,2000; “Aircraft Maintenance Program Manager”, by Barry Sinex,application Ser. No. 09/728,579, filed Dec. 1, 2000; “Dynamic AircraftMaintenance Production System”, by Barry Sinex, application Ser. No.09/734,319, filed Dec. 1, 2000; “Dynamic Assignment of Maintenance Tasksto Aircraft Maintenance Personnel”, application Ser. No. 09/727,671,filed Dec. 1, 2000 by Barry Sinex; and “Dynamic Management of AircraftPart Reliability Data”, by Barry Sinex, application Ser. No. 09/728,565,filed Dec. 1, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of aircraft maintenance. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a system and method fortracking aircraft maintenance required on an aircraft.

Aircraft maintenance occupies a key position in airline operationbecause such maintenance is essential to the safety of passengers andthe reliability of airline schedules. Each aircraft has its ownmaintenance requirements which are designed to keep the aircraft in anairworthy condition. These aircraft maintenance requirements typicallyoriginate from the aircraft's manufacturer, and can be revisedthroughout the life of the aircraft by the aircraft manufactures, theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) and/or the Maintenance ReviewBoard (MRB).

These aircraft maintenance requirements are documented inaircraft-specific MRB documents. An MRB document details each task thatmust be accomplished on a particular aircraft, the requirements of thattask, and the frequency with which the task must be performed. The MRBdocument includes tasks that need to be accomplished anywhere from oncea day to once every 20 years, as well as tasks that need to beaccomplished after the aircraft has achieved a specific number of flighthours, flight cycles or other triggering indicia. For most majoraircraft types, the MRB document lists somewhere between 800 to 2,000different tasks.

The MRB document details a very complicated maintenance schedule. Toensure compliance with the MRB document, airlines must implement varioustracking programs to monitor for the dates when tasks come due, as wellas to log the completion of those tasks and any corrective actionstaken.

Because an aircraft produces revenue only when it is flying, it isessential for airline management to keep maintenance time at a minimum.Thus, airlines commonly group tasks together (into letter-checks) ratherthan perform the tasks one at a time as they come due. Letter checkscommonly include “A checks”, “B checks”, “C checks” and “D checks”, withA checks occurring most frequently and having the fewest number oftasks. A and B checks typically can be performed overnight in a “linemaintenance” environment, in which, assuming no complications arise, theaircraft typically loses little or no flight time. In this environment,the aircraft remains airworthy because it can be reassembled quickly.

Conversely, C and D checks comprise a greater number of tasks, many ofwhich require a substantial amount of time to complete. Thus C and Dchecks are typically performed in a heavy maintenance environment inwhich the aircraft is taken out of service. In this environment, anaircraft is taken into a hanger, where it is taken apart, inspected,fixed and reassembled during the course of one week to over a month.During this heavy maintenance period, non-routine tasks (those notdetailed in the MRB document) are identified (often as a result of aninspection mandated by the MRB document), and parts that have reachedtheir hard limits specified by the MRB document are replaced. Upwards of300 persons (including cleaners, mechanics, lead mechanics, inspectorsand lead inspectors) may work on the maintenance of the aircraft. Inaddition, a management team including managers, supervisors, directors,production coordinators and shops managers coordinate the completion ofthe maintenance. This maintenance team typically works in three shifts aday, seven days a week, to complete the needed maintenance.

To minimize the number of days the aircraft is removed from operation, amaintenance plan must be developed to assign and monitor the completionof tasks. The development of such a plan is made more difficult by theidentification of non-routine tasks during the maintenance, back orderson parts which preclude the completion of certain tasks and the failureto complete timely critical path tasks (those which prevent subsequenttasks from being completed). No computer-based method exists todynamically prepare such a maintenance plan using dynamically changinginformation, such as available labor hours, sequence and dependency oftasks, and the addition of non-routine tasks.

Airlines can further save costs by escalating, when permissible, theintervals at which tasks are performed. Based upon reliability datacollected by an airline during maintenance of their own aircrafts, theFAA may allow the airline to more favorably escalate tasks beyond therequirements of the MRB document (i.e, require the task to be performedat longer intervals). Thus, if a task to inspect a particular part isperformed as required every six months, and the part is consistently(throughout the fleet) in good condition, the task may be escalated toone a year (or some other interval). Such escalations of tasks cansignificantly affect the time and cost of maintaining an airline's fleetof aircraft. A reliability program thus modifies, for a particularairline only, an aircraft's MRB document by changing the intervalsrequired between overhauls, inspections and checks of aircraftequipment. Guidance on reliability program elements is listed inAdvisory Circular (AC) 120-17, Maintenance Program Management ThroughReliability Methods, as amended, the Airline/Manufacturer MaintenanceProgram Planning Document, MSG-2/3, and/or Maintenance Tasks.

A reliability program can further help airlines determine whetherindividual warrantied parts have met the manufacturer's predicted lifelimits. Often, manufacturers of aircraft parts, especially engine parts,guarantee that the part will not fail before a specified number ofhours. Thus, a reliability program can enable airlines to get warrantymoney back from warranty administration on that part if the part doesnot meet the manufacturer's predicted life limits. There is nocomputer-based program for monitoring the reliability program of anentire fleet of aircraft as it relates to the requirements of the MRBdocument, which uses data dynamically collected during the process ofmaintenance.

Another aspect of an aircraft maintenance program for an airline is theproper training of its personnel. The FAA has very strict standardsregarding the training required of aircraft mechanics. Before permittinga mechanic to perform a task, the FAA requires that the mechanic havebeen previously supervised doing the task or specifically trained forthe task. The FAA additionally requires much of the training to beperformed on a recurrent basis. Therefore, airlines must monitor and logall training received by its maintenance employees.

Airlines must also maintain a significant number of publications, suchas the MRB document, training manuals, maintenance manuals, illustratedparts catalogs, structural repair manuals, aircraft wiring diagrams anda general engineering and maintenance manual. Presently, these documentsare mostly maintained in paper format.

No system presently exists to integrate all of the above-listed facetsof a successful aircraft maintenance program. Additionally, no systempresently exists to dynamically manage an aircraft's MRB document, todynamically monitor for the dates when tasks are due on an aircraft, tolog the completion of tasks and corrective actions taken on an aircraft,to dynamically prepare a maintenance plan, to dynamically collectreliability data or to dynamically collect personnel training records.Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for dynamicallymanaging, in real-time, aircraft maintenance requirements.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an aircraft maintenance tracking system fortracking aircraft maintenance required on an aircraft. The aircraftmaintenance tracking system includes means for tracking accumulatedusage data of the aircraft, means for receiving a list of routine tasksrequired to be performed on the aircraft, means for tracking taskaccomplishment data for each routine task, means for determining amaintenance due point for each routine task, means for identifyingmaintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which a differencebetween the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value, and means for reporting maintenance due tasks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a system in accord with thepresent invention for dynamically managing, in real-time, aircraftmaintenance requirements.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an MRB program manager component of thesystem of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3-4 illustrate example graphical user interfaces (GUI) used inconjunction with the MRB program manager component of the system of FIG.1.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a tracking manager component of the systemof FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6-7 illustrate example graphical user interfaces (GUIs) used inconjunction with the tracking manager component of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a preferred method of using a DAMPmanager component of the system of FIG. 1 to complete a maintenancecheck of an aircraft.

FIGS. 9-17 illustrate example graphical user interfaces (GUIs) used inconjunction with the DAMP manager component of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram of an automatic task assignment component ofthe DAMP manager component of the system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of system 10 in accord with thepresent invention for dynamically managing, in real-time, aircraftmaintenance requirements. System 10 interfaces with a plurality ofaircraft, such as aircraft 12, corresponding aircraft maintenancerequirements, such as aircraft maintenance requirements 14, personneltraining records 16, FAA training requirements 18, and user preferences20. System 10 is a multiple component system which includes MaintenanceReview Board (MRB) program manager 22, aircraft tracking manager 24,Dynamic Aircraft Maintenance Production (DAMP) manager 26, reliabilitymanager 28, electronic publications manager 30 and personnel trainingmanager 32.

From aircraft maintenance requirements 14, MRB program manager 22extracts maintenance tasks required for aircraft 12 and, for each task,time control points (or limits by which the task must be performed). MRBprogram manager uses this information to allow an airline operator toorganize these tasks into logical groups which can be simultaneouslyperformed. MRB program manager 22 provides the maintenance plan, alongwith the corresponding time control points, to aircraft tracking manager24.

Tracking manager 24 monitors accumulated time data, such as flight hoursand cycles), and compares this data to the data received from MRBprogram manager, to report on which tasks are approaching their timecontrol point. Tracking manager 24 may also be used by an airlineoperator to schedule tasks during maintenance visits managed by DAMPmanager 26.

When aircraft 12 enters a heavy maintenance period, DAMP manager 26allows airline operators to create a dynamic maintenance program forassigning and monitoring the completion of tasks on aircraft 12.

Upon completion of a heavy maintenance period, reliability manager 28records data relating to reliability of individual aircraft parts. Theairline's reliability board may later use reliability manager 28 toquery the reliability data and generate reports useful for recommendingchanges to the MRB program.

Electronic publications manager 30 is a tool which gathers the multitudeof publications needed in the aircraft maintenance industry, andprovides them in an on-line environment.

Personnel training manager 32 provides tools for an airline operator toassign instructors, students, classrooms and audio visual equipment tospecific training courses. Personnel training manager 32 furtherprovides access from DAMP manager 26 to personnel training records 16 toenable an airline to know exactly when and what training its employeesneed.

Although it is preferable that an airline maintenance program utilizeeach of the components included in system 10 of FIG. 1, those skilled inthe art will recognize that each of the individual components may beused independently, collectively, or in combinations of the components.Thus, an airline may incorporate only MRB program manager 22 and DAMPmanager 26 with its own existing legacy system for monitoring when tasksare due on an aircraft.

System Inputs

Aircraft maintenance requirements 14, which originate from the aircraftmanufacturer, list the tasks that must be accomplished on aircraft 12and the timescale for how often the tasks must be accomplished in orderto keep aircraft 12 in airworthy condition. The Maintenance Review Board(MRB) collects this information. These requirements can be revisedthroughout the life of aircraft 12 by any of the aircraft manufacturer,the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Maintenance Review Board(MRB) or the airline operator (with FAA approval). Aircraft maintenancerequirements 14 may include information regarding routine tasks,customer-specific tasks, FAA Airworthiness Directives, Manufacturer'sService Bulletins and Letters, and other trackable tasks required forairline maintenance.

Personnel training records 16 include data regarding the types oftraining each maintenance employee has received, and when that trainingwas administered. FAA training requirements 18 document the trainingrequired of a maintenance employee before that employee can performspecified maintenance tasks.

MRB Program Manager

MRB program manager 22 takes aircraft maintenance requirements 14 andcreates a maintenance program for aircraft 12. MRB program manager 22allows an airline operator to organize all of the maintenance tasks intological groups based on frequency, type, and an airline'soperational/scheduling preferences 20. As a result, MRB program manager22 provides a customized maintenance schedule that allows the airline tonot only keep track of each maintenance task individually, but alsocarry out the maintenance tasks much more efficiently.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram 40 of MRB program manager 22 of system 10 ofFIG. 1. During its initial setup, which is step 42, MRB program manager22 extracts from aircraft maintenance requirements 14, all of the tasksthat must be performed on an aircraft of type aircraft 12, as well asthe time control points (or limits by which the task must be performed)for each task.

At step 44, an airline operator will select whether logic formula MSG-2(Maintenance Steering Group) or logic formula MSG-3 MRB will be used toorganize tasks. With logic formula MSG-2, parts are changed at standardtimes regardless of whether the part actually needs to be changed. Thus,under MSG-2 logic, a part is always replaced at or before its normallife expectancy. Conversely, under logic formula MSG-3, parts are notreplaced until broken. MSG-3 logic allows the MRB document to be revisedbased upon reliability data for the part during its life cycle. Thus,the types of tasks assigned under MSG-2 logic varies from the types oftasks assigned in MSG-3 logic; that is, more inspection tasks will beperformed under MSG-3 logic than under MSG-2 logic, while more partreplacement tasks will be performed under MSG-2 logic than under MSG-3logic.

At step 46, the extracted tasks are organized into letter checks, flightcycle checks (those tasks scheduled by flight cycles), separatelytracked tasks and special tasks.

Depending on individual requirements, at step 48, airline management maymodify, at anytime, the initial grouping of tasks, as long as none ofthe time control points, or limits by which a task must be performed, isexceeded by the modified plan.

MRB program manager 22 preferably provides both the master maintenanceprogram and the airline-modified maintenance program, along with thecorresponding time control points, to aircraft tracking manager 24.

FIG. 3 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 50 used inconjunction with MRB program manager 22 of system 10. In the example ofFIG. 3, the tasks of a test aircraft are organized into a plurality ofchecks including A checks 52. Other types of checks not illustrated inFIG. 3 are C checks, eight-year checks, flight cycle checks, and specialchecks. In GUI 50, column 54 lists the name of each check. Column 56details the number of tasks included within each of the plurality ofchecks. Column 58 details the forecasted hours required to complete eachtask. Column 60 lists the form number of each task. Columns 62 list thetime control points (or interval periods at which each of the pluralityof checks is to be performed). The time control point may be listed as aspecific number of flight hours, flight cycles or months. For each ofthe plurality of checks, buttons are provided to allow an airlineoperator to revise the checks (“Revise” button in column 64), view thetasks within the check (“View” button in column 66), or generate achecklist of the tasks within the check (“Checklist” button in column68).

FIG. 4 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 80 used inconjunction with MRB program manager 22 of system 10. GUI 80 illustratesa partial listing of tasks 82 to be performed in conjunction with aselected one of A checks 52 of FIG. 3. Tasks 82 within selected A check52 are organized by region of the aircraft, such as “upper fuselageabove cabin floor” and “tailcone & empennage group”. For each task 82listed in GUI 80, column 84 provides a task number, column 86 provides atask description, column 88 provides the task's official MRB interval(or time control point), column 90 provides an approximation of theamount of time required to perform the task, column 92 provides the tasktype, and column 94 provides the zone in which the work is to beperformed. Details of each task 82 can be revised by selecting thecorresponding “Revise” button provided in column 96.

In a preferred embodiment, MRB program manager 22 will include dataconverters to convert information stored in an airline's legacy systeminto a format usable by MRB program manager 22.

Aircraft Tracking Manager

Aircraft tracking manager 24 functions as an aircraft scheduling tool bykeeping track of all maintenance activities accomplished on aircraft 12.Tracking manager 24 receives a maintenance program as an input from MRBprogram manager 22, tracks the amount of accumulated time for eachmaintenance task, and outputs tracking information in the form of astatus report. If tracking manager 24 is used independently, themaintenance program is input from aircraft maintenance requirements 14.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram 100 of tracking manager 24 of system 10. Atstep 102, tracking manager 24 receives the maintenance program.Preferably, MRB program manager 22 provides the master maintenanceprogram, the airline-modified maintenance program, and correspondingtime control points to aircraft tracking manager 24.

At step 104, non-routine tasks are added to the maintenance program,thereby allow both routine and non-routine tasks to be tracked. When anon-routine task is generated, it is linked to a particular routine task(the performance of which resulted in the non-routine task). Reliabilitymanager 28 may then use that relationship to determine whether amaintenance interval for a part can be escalated, or if it needs to bede-escalated.

At step 106, tracking manager 24 keeps track of information such as howmany flight cycles, flight hours and time aircraft 12 has accumulated.When integrated with MRB program manager 22, tracking manager 24 ensuresthat aircraft 12 is not flown through one of its maintenance limits.Tracking data may be automatically entered into tracking manager 24 byan automated system installed aboard aircraft 12 or manually by airlineground crews. Manually-entered data may be entered at the end of a dayby maintenance crews performing the aircraft's daily line check.Tracking data may also be provided by dispatch employees who alsomonitor this information.

At step 108, tracking manager 24 receives and logs all maintenanceactivities accomplished on aircraft 12, thereby serving as a maintenancelogbook for aircraft 12. In this capacity, tracking manager 24 storessuch information about each discrete task accomplished on aircraft 12 aswhat was done, what was replaced, who did the work and when was the workdone. To meet FAA requirements, the electronic logbook may be printedand stored in paper format. When, if ever, the FAA approves theelectronic storage of aircraft maintenance logbooks, airlines will nolonger need to store paper copies of its maintenance records.

At step 110, tracking manager 24 compares, for each task, theaccumulated time data to the task due data to determine which tasks willsoon require maintenance, and at step 112, tracking manager 24 reportsthese results. By tracking each task as both an individual task and as apart of a task group (or check), the airline may move tasks intodifferent groups without the danger of exceeding the task limitations.

Various status reports can be generated by users of tracking manager 24by making inquires as to what tasks need to be completed within selectedparameters. FIG. 6 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI)120 used in conjunction with tracking manager 24. The example of FIG. 6is a partial status report for test aircraft 12. The status report listsa plurality of tasks 122, and includes information on each task, suchas, the MRB document source numbers listed in column 124 and a taskdescription listed in column 126. Column 128 details the flight hour,flight cycle and date at which task 122 was last completed. Column 130lists the flight hour, flight cycle or date by which task 122 must beperformed. Finally, column 132 provides a “Revise” button allowing anairline operator to revise the specifications of a particular task.

FIG. 7 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 140 used inconjunction with tracking manager 24. GUI 140 is an example “Tasks Due”screen 140 of system 10. Screen 140 shows, in real-time, a list of tasksdue within a user-specified range of dates, hours, or cycles. The usercan enter a number of hours 142, a number of cycles 144, or a date 146,and click on button 148 (“Retrieve Records”) to retrieve a list of tasksdue within the entered range. The resulting screen lists the taskdescriptions 150, the date last completed 152 (as well as the flighthours and flight cycles accrued by that completion date), the timelimits 154 (or time control point), and the time remaining 156 for eachtask. The time remaining column will preferably provide a graphical cueto the user as to which tasks are overdue, which are nearing their duedate, and which are not yet due. Such a graphical cue could becolor-coding the remaining time information. In the example of FIG. 7,cells could be colored red to signify overdue tasks (not shown), cells158 could be colored yellow to signify task which will be due within theuser-specified range, and cells 159 could be colored white to signifytasks which are not yet due and outside the user-specified range. As thetasks are completed, the historical record for each task is updated inreal-time to the current status. Screen 140 assists the user indeveloping the best plan and work order for an aircraft to insure thattasks are completed in a timely manner.

Tracking manager 24 may also be used by an airline operator to scheduletasks during maintenance visits managed by DAMP manager 26.

Dynamic Aircraft Maintenance Production (DAMP) Manager

DAMP manager 26 creates a dynamic maintenance program for assigning andmonitoring the completion of tasks on aircraft 12 in a heavy maintenanceenvironment. DAMP manager 26 is designed for multiple users of aproduction coordination system. Briefly, DAMP manager 26 is a systemwhich allows maintenance employees to quickly, and easily, know whatroutine and non-routine tasks they are scheduled to complete; providesmechanic crew leads the ability to dynamically assign tasks to mechanicsand to query which tasks are currently assigned and to whom they areassigned; and provides maintenance employees and supervisors the abilityto compare actual time expended to complete a maintenance check toforecasted time for the maintenance check.

In the heavy maintenance environment, each individual maintenance teammember, from mechanic to top-tier management, has a specific job tocomplete. An ideal maintenance plan for an aircraft would take intoaccount the knowledge and experience of all employees working tomaintain the aircraft. DAMP manager 26, in a sense, allows each employeeto contribute to the overall maintenance production plan. In the DAMPsystem, each employee is given the tools they need to do their job. Eachemployee has access to computer screens containing information relevantto the completion of their own job. In using the system, each employeeenters information into the system in response to the computer screenspresented to the employee. That information is processed by DAMP manager26, with the end result being that the mechanics always know exactlywhat tasks on which to work. Additionally, DAMP manager 26 creates ahistory of events to enable production coordinators to identify whatworks and what does not work in the maintenance plan.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram 160 illustrating a preferred method of usingDAMP manager 26 to complete a heavy maintenance check of aircraft 10.Initially, at step 162, DAMP manager 26 extracts data from MRB programmanager 22 and tracking manager 24 to identify the routine tasks thatneed to be performed on aircraft 10. If DAMP manager 26 were operated ina stand-alone environment, this data would be retrieved directly fromaircraft maintenance requirements 14, which would be abstracted by theairline operator.

At step 164, DAMP manager 26 preferably sorts the tasks into aircraftzones in which those tasks pertain, such as nose, tail or west wing.

At step 166, DAMP manager 26 generates a proposed flow for the aircraft.This flow may further be broken down by zone. In creating a proposedflow, DAMP manager 26 considers whether the completion of certain tasksis essential for the completion others.

At step 168, the production planner (the personnel member in charge ofmonitoring production flow) can modify the flow proposed by DAMP manager26 based upon the availability of parts and employees, as well as theexistence of non-routine tasks. Typically, the production planner knowsthe status of the shop and its available parts. For instance, if theplanner knows that tires will not be available during the first week ofmaintenance, the planner can modify the flow to ensure that tasksrelating to tire replacement do not occur during the first week. Theplanner may also add any known non-routine tasks to the flow.

Tasks are assigned to mechanics at step 170 in either a semiautomatic orautomatic mode. If the semiautomatic mode is selected, tasks will beautomatically be pulled from the flow diagram for a crew lead to assignto his crew. In this mode, the crew lead starts each shift by enteringinto DAMP manager 26 which employees are available. In response, DAMPmanager 26 will generate a flow diagram for a user-selected number ofshifts which includes tasks with forecasted completion times roughlymatching the available manpower. The crew lead can then distribute thosegenerated tasks to the mechanics in his crew. In the automatic mode,tasks are automatically assigned at the start of each shift by DAMPmanager 26. This automatic mode is discussed later in thisspecification.

At step 172, mechanics sign into DAMP manager 26 to retrieve their taskcards. When the mechanic signs in and accepts a first task, the clockstarts running on the first task, and when the employee signs onto asecond task, the clock stops running on the first task. DAMP manager 26uses this information to monitor the amount of time spent completingeach task. Later, the actual times can be compared to the forecastedtimes to determine if the maintenance program is on schedule. Thisinformation can also be accumulated over a number of checks, and used bycrew leads to determine which employees are most efficient at each task.

When signing out of the DAMP manager 26 at the end of a shift, at step174, the mechanics and/or crew lead estimate the amount of timeremaining on any incomplete tasks.

Also when signing out of DAMP manager 26, at step 176, mechanics enterany passdown notes or corrective actions taken during the performance ofa task. Often, tasks left incomplete at the end of a shift are picked upby a mechanic on the next shift. Passdown notes enable those mechanicswho continue working on the task to know what was completed by theprevious mechanic. These notes do not remain part of the maintenancerecords, and are discarded once the task has been completed. Correctiveaction notes indicate what corrective actions were taken by a mechanic,and become part of the official maintenance logbook for the aircraft.

At step 178, inspectors review the work performed by mechanics. If thework is acceptable, the task card is signed off by the inspector. If thework is unacceptable, the task remains in the production schedule to bereassigned. DAMP manager 26 also monitors the work of the inspectors.Thus, as with the tasks performed by mechanics, DAMP manager 26 monitorsthe amount of time the inspectors take to complete each inspection.

Often, while performing a routine task, the mechanics and inspectorswill identify additional tasks that need to be accomplished to maintainthe aircraft in an airworthy condition. At step 180, these non-routinetasks are entered into DAMP manager 26.

DAMP manager 26 constantly updates the overall completion time andtracks critical path jobs which will prevent subsequent jobs from beingdone. Thus, steps 164-180 are repeated until the maintenance check onthe aircraft is complete.

An example implementation of DAMP manager 26 is illustrated in FIGS.9-17. FIG. 9 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 190 usedin conjunction with DAMP manager 26. GUI 190 is an example status screenof system 10. Screen 190 shows in real-time the current maintenancestatus of aircraft 12. Section 192 of GUI 190 displays the tail numberof aircraft 12 (US248 in this example) and user name (Melling). Section192 also includes pull-down menus 194. Each pull-down menu 194 providesadditional levels of access in DAMP manager 26. Thus, a crew memberwould be provided with only one pull-down menu, while senior managementwould be provided with several pull-down menus. In this example, userMelling is provided with five pull-down menus. In addition, section 192includes button 196 (“Log Off”) which allows the user to log off of DAMPmanager 26.

Section 198 of GUI 190 is a line chart indicative of overall maintenanceprogram progress with hours plotted vertically and days progressinghorizontally. Time scale 200, which runs horizontally across section198, chronologically displays the number of days in the check. Solidhorizontal line 202, which is located immediately below time scale 200,represents the currently estimated number of hours required to completethe aircraft maintenance check. Estimate 204, which is displayed beneathsolid horizontal line 202, provides a numeric representation of thetotal number of hours currently estimated to complete the check. Solidhorizontal line 206 represents the projected number of hours required tocomplete the aircraft maintenance check, while forecast 208, which isdisplayed beneath solid horizontal line 204, provides a numericrepresentation of the total number of hours projected to complete thecheck. First broken line 210 represents the planned available labor forthe check (as it accrues each day), while second broken line 212represents the actual labor expended each day on the check. Lines 210and 212 can be color coded to allow easy differentiation by the airlineoperator.

The planned day of completion is represented by the intersection offirst broken line 210 with solid horizontal line 202. Similarly, theactual day of completion is represented by the intersection of secondbroken line 212 with solid horizontal line 202. Vertical lines 214represent milestones in the check. Count 216 indicates the current dayof the check, as well as the total number of days planned to completethe check.

Section 218 of GUI 190 (entitled, “Check Status”) illustrates, inreal-time, the number of work cards (“Count”), the estimated number ofhours required (“Estimated Hours”), the actual number of hours applied(“Actual Hours”), and the percentage complete (“% Complete”) for variouscollections of tasks. In the example of GUI 190, tasks are organized byopen tasks (“Open”), close tasks (“Close”), and non-estimated tasks(“Non-Estimated”), as well as totals for all tasks (“Total”).

Section 220 of GUI 190 is a bar graph indicative of the real-timeprogress in individual cells (or zones) of aircraft 12. For each cell,the bars graphically illustrates the forecast of when the maintenancecheck of aircraft 12 will be complete. For example, in cell 1 (the wingszone), bar 222 indicates the number of labor hours that have beenapplied against that cell, the total bar (formed of bar 222 and bar 224)indicates the total number of hours that have been estimated in thatcell, and the number following the total bar indicates the percentagecomplete of that zone (27% in this example). Similar section 226 (notfully shown) displays a bar graph indicative of the real-time progressby skill type and the total number of mechanics available by skill.

FIG. 10 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 230 used inconjunction with DAMP manager 26 of system 10. GUI 230 includes adynamic GANTT chart 232 (hereinafter referred to as flow chart 232)indicating the proposed maintenance check flow. Flow chart 232 isdesigned to pull together all available resources to graphically delivera dynamic indication of how the check is to proceed if the maintenanceplan relating to such variables as task priorities, crew assignments,mechanic availability, task dependancies and task delay is followed.Flow chart 232 is constantly updated to always reflect the most currentdata.

As in FIG. 9, section 234 of GUI 230 displays the tail number ofaircraft 12 (US248)and user name (Melling). Section 234 also includespull-down menus 236. In addition, section 234 includes button 238 (“LogOff”) which allows the user to log off of DAMP manager 26.

Flow chart 232 shows, in real-time, a list of all tasks that arerequired to be completed during the maintenance check of aircraft 12.Time scale 240 chronologically displays the number of days in the check.In flow chart 232, a width of task bar 242 indicates the time durationof a specific task, while the location of task bar 242 indicates itsplacement in the overall schedule. As flow chart 232 is dynamicallyupdated, completed tasks will be represented by their actual durationand placement, while incomplete tasks will be represented by theirplanned duration and placement.

Vertical lines 244 in flow chart 232 represent milestones in theproduction plan. These milestones are determined by airline managementto represent their goals. Vertical lines 244 provide a graphicalrepresentation of where the production is in relationship to themilestones. These milestones can also be included in section 198 of GUI190.

Flow chart 232 can be color-coded to provided a visual cue as to whichtasks will fall behind schedule if the current maintenance plan isfollowed. For instance, completed tasks, tasks presently being workedon, tasks having a scheduled start time that has already elapsed, andfuture tasks could each be displayed in different colors to allow theairline operator to reallocate resources to get back on track. Flowchart 232 also allows the airline operator to reorder tasks, assigncrews, assign dependencies to tasks, and make other decisions in orderto avoid missing the check completion date.

FIG. 11a illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 250 used inconjunction with DAMP manager 26. GUI 250 is an example crew assignmentscreen listing tasks assigned to a specific crew working on aircraft 12.Again, section 252 displays information about aircraft 12 and the user,as well as pull-down menus and a log off button. In this example, user“Roche” has access to only two pull-down menus (compared with five inFIG. 9), indicating that user “Roche” has less access to DAMP manager 26than user “Melling” of FIG. 9.

In GUI 250, tasks are organized according to status. For instance, taskscould be ordered such that top-most tasks have the highest priority,followed sequentially by tasks on hold and non-scheduled tasks. Toconvey a visual cue as to the urgency of each task, title bar 254 can becolored to indicate the status of the task. Such a visual cue allows thecrew lead to better decide how tasks should be assigned.

Title bar 254 details the task identification number, the taskdescription, and other information pertinent to the task. For each task,required skill level 256 (“Mechanic 1” for the first-listed task) isdisplayed.

To assign a crew member to a task, the user simply checks box 258 underthe name of the crew member to whom the task is assigned. Once the taskis assigned, the crew member may sign onto the task, at which time theclock starts running on that crew member to collect the total amount oftime spent on that task. If a crew member has not logged into DAMPmanager 26, a visual cue 260, such as a red square drawn around hiscorresponding check box 258, may be displayed to instantly alert theuser of which employees are absent, whereas a green box could be used toindicate that a crew member is awaiting task assignment. A similarvisual cue could be provided if the crew member is in training. Thisvisual signal is helpful because tasks cannot be assigned to crew memberwho are absent or in training.

In GUI 250, the user can select button 262 (“Work Card”) to access aparticular task's printable work card for distribution to the crewmembers. Alternatively, crew members can print their own work cards whenchecking into DAMP manager 26 to see what tasks have been assigned tothem (preferably presented in sequential order of how they should becompleted). Not shown in FIG. 11a, GUI 250 can also provide a revisebutton to allow the user to access a task revision screen for aparticular task.

FIG. 11b illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 270 used inconjunction with DAMP manager 26 of system 10. GUI 270 is an examplecrew member assignment screen listing tasks currently assigned to aspecific crew member working on aircraft 12. Again, section 272 displaysinformation about aircraft 12 and the user, as well as pull-down menusand a log off button. In this example, user “Albin” (crew member fromFIG. 11a) has access to two pull-down menus.

In GUI 270, tasks are organized according to log in status. Forinstance, tasks could be color-coded such that tasks that the crewmember is currently logged in to work on are colored in gray, followedby tasks that the crew member is not currently logged in to work onwhich are colored in white.

Title line 274 details the task identification number, the taskdescription, and other information pertinent to the task. For each task,the names of the crew members assigned to the task 276 are displayed.The crew member can select button 278 (“Work Card”) to access aparticular task's printable work card.

FIG. 12 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 280 used inconjunction with DAMP manager 26 of system 10. GUI 280 is an examplework card screen which shows, in real-time, the current status of aselected task. GUI 280 can be accessed in several ways, one of which isthe selection of work card button 262 of GUI 250.

GUI 280 presents the following information about the selected task:aircraft tail number 282, task number 284, bar code 286 corresponding totask number 284, work order number 288, zone number 290, sequence number292, estimated hours 294, actual hours accrued 296, suggested number ofcrew members 298, skill required 300, crew numbers 302 of crews assignedto task, current date 304, station number 306, and discrepancy or taskdescription 308.

GUI 280 also provides box 310 to enable the assigned mechanic to recordevaluation notes, box 312 to enable assigned mechanic to record repairreference, box 314 to enable the assigned mechanic to recordwork-in-progress notes, and box 316 to enable the assigned mechanic torecord notes regarding repair, corrective action, turnover, orrejection. Not shown in FIG. 12, GUI 280 also provides a box to enablethe assigned mechanic to sign off on the task, a box to indicate thatthe task is ready for inspection, and a box to enable the assignedinspector to completely sign off on the task.

To generate a task card, which lists instructions for how a task is tobe completed, the user selects a task card button (which is not shown inFIG. 12).

FIG. 13. illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 320 used inconjunction with DAMP manager 26 of system 10. GUI 320 is an exampletask card screen which provides instructions for how a selected task isto be performed. GUI 320 can be accessed in several ways, one of whichis the selection of a task card button (which is not shown) of GUI 280.

GUI 320 presents the following information about a selected task: taskcard number 322, work order number 324, aircraft tail number 326,aircraft serial number 328, accrued flight hours 330, accrued cycles332, and date 334. GUI 320 also presents a series of steps 336 whichprovide instructions on how the task is to be performed. In the exampleillustrated, there are two steps (A and B), with step B having twosub-steps (1 and 2). Columns 338 and 339 indicate what skill typesshould perform each step. GUI 320 is configured according to thestandards of the airline operator for which DAMP manager 26 is designed.

FIG. 14 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 340 used inconjunction with DAMP manager 26 of system 10. GUI 340 is an exampletask revision screen used to revise information about a specific task.GUI 340 can be accessed in several ways, one of which is the selectionof a revise button on GUI 250 (not shown in FIG. 11a).

GUI 340 includes the following real-time information, all of which canbe edited in GUI 340: task description 342, number of crew membersrequired 344, estimated time 346, actual time accrued 348, target dayfor accomplishment 350, delay amount 352, estimated start day 354,assigned crew number 356, milestone the task must precede 358, milestonethe task must follow 360, task dependency 362, task card number 364,sequence number 366, and zone number 368.

GUI 340 may be accessed for several reasons. Management may want torevise the number of resources (i.e., number of crew members required344 and estimated time 346) assigned to a task, or some complicationwhich delays completion of the task. If a task need be delayed, the usercan select the number of days the task should be delayed, along a reasonfor the delay. A user selects button 370 (“Revise”) to indicate that thetask revision form has been completed, and to enter the new informationinto the system 10. Button 372 (“Work Card”) allows the user to accessthe work card screen for the task. Button 374 (“Exit”) allows the userto exit GUI 340.

Section 376 of GUI 340 visually indicates (preferably by a color-codeddot 378 or an arrow) the location on aircraft 12 where the selected taskis targeted. Photograph 384 of the task location is also provided. GUI340 also indicates, in real-time, where this task falls in the overallproduction plan. Combined, bar graph 380 and indicator mark 382represent the current priority of the selected task in relation to allthe other maintenance tasks within the check. The priority of the taskcan be increased by sliding indicator mark 382 toward the top of bargraph 380. Conversely, the priority of the task can be decreased bysliding indicator mark 382 toward the bottom of bar graph 380. A similarbar graph and indicator mark can also be provided to indicate where inthe current overall status of the maintenance check the task lies.

FIG. 15 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 390 used inconjunction with DAMP manager 26 of system 10. GUI 390 is an examplework locations screen of system 10. GUI 390 presents a graphical imageof aircraft 12 (from three different perspectives) and dots to identifywhere on aircraft 12 maintenance needs to be performed. As a user movesthe cursor over selected dot 392, a roll-over description of themaintenance task can be provided. The user can click on dot 392 toaccess the work card screen for that particular maintenance task.

FIG. 16 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 400 used inconjunction with DAMP manager 26 of system 10. GUI 400 is an examplework card screen for a non-routine task. GUI 400 is essentiallyidentical to GUI 280 (work card screen for a routine task), except thatGUI 400 includes photograph 402 of reported discrepancy 404.

FIG. 17 illustrates example graphical user interface (GUI) 410 used inconjunction with DAMP manager 26 of system 10. GUI 410 is an example“Task Re-Evaluation” shift end screen. Section 412 displays informationabout aircraft 12 and the user, as well as pull-down menus and a log offbutton.

Section 414 of GUI 410 lists all tasks having more hours applied to themthan last estimated. Column 416 lists the task number and description ofeach task, column 418 lists the estimated number of hours to completethat task, column 420 lists the actual hours accrued (so far) to thattask, column 422 provides a box in which the crew lead can supply a newestimate of the time remaining on that task, and column 424 provides thecrew numbers of crews assigned to that task.

Section 426 of GUI 410 provides a tool to log crew members out of DAMPmanager 26. To log a specific crew member off, the user need only checkbox 428 located beneath the crew member's name, and then select button430 (“Sign Out”).

Reliability Manager

Upon completion of a heavy maintenance period, reliability manager 28records data relating to reliability of individual aircraft parts. Theairline's reliability board may later use reliability manager 28 toquery the reliability data and generate reports useful for recommendingchanges to the MRB program.

Reliability manager collects information about non-routine tasks.Tracking manager 24 links each non-routine task to its generatingroutine task to allow reliability manager 28 to determine whether amaintenance interval for a part can be accelerated, or if it needs to bedecelerated.

Reliability manager 28 also collects all the information regardingrotable parts (those parts which can be repaired) including when theywere installed, when they were removed, what were the non-routine tasksperformed in their life cycle, when they came in for line maintenancechecks and their parent-child relationship with other rotable parts.Reliability manager 28 allows airlines to evaluate whether or not arotable part is actually meeting the manufacturer's predicted lifelimits. In addition, reliability manager 28 analyzes the maintenanceprogram produced by MRB program manager 22 and the maintenance logbookproduced by tracking manager 24 to analyze the reliability of eachrotable part. If a rotable part never has a deficiency within thesuggested inspection interval, the airline may modify its maintenanceprogram based upon the reliability data produced by reliability manager28.

The primary purpose of an MRB document is to assist the regulatoryauthorities in determining the initial scheduled maintenancerequirements for new or derivative types of transport-category aircraft.The MRB document is used as the basis from which an airline develops itsown continuous airworthiness maintenance program. Any change to themaintenance program requires an analysis phase and an appropriatesampling of aircraft reliability data. The resulting information servesas justification for any modifications to the airline's maintenanceprogram.

A reliability program establishes the time limitations or standards fordetermining intervals between overhauls, inspections and checks ofaircraft equipment. Guidance on reliability program elements is listedin Advisory Circular (AC) 120-17, Maintenance Program Management ThroughReliability methods, as amended, the Airline/Manufacturer MaintenanceProgram Planning Document, MSG-2/3, and/or Maintenance Tasks. Areliability program typically collects reliability data from sourcesincluding unscheduled removals of parts, confirmed failures of parts,pilot reports, sampling inspections, shop findings, functional checks,bench checks, service difficulty reports, mechanical interruptionsummaries and other sources the airline considers appropriate.

Electronic Publications Manager

Electronic publications manager 30 is a tool which gathers the multitudeof publications needed in the aircraft maintenance industry, andprovides them in an on-line environment.

The airline maintenance industry is a highly regulated industry whichproduces a substantial number of disparate publications essential foroperation of an airline maintenance facility. Electronic publicationsmanager 30 is a tool that gathers this multitude of publications into anelectronic form, thus making the publications more easily accessible toaircraft maintenance personnel.

Electronic publications manager 30 works cooperatively with MRB programmanager 22, tracking manager 24 and DAMP manager 26 to provide access toneeded documents as needed by maintenance personnel.

Electronic publications manager 30 stores such publications as trainingmanuals, maintenance manuals, illustrated parts catalogs, structuralrepair manuals, aircraft wiring diagram manuals, FAA directives and anairline's specific general engineering and maintenance manual.

Electronic publications manager 30 can work with the other components ofsystem 10 to instantly link each task in the maintenance program to workcards, which explain an airline's preferred method of performing thattask, or may include photographs or wiring diagrams helpful toperforming the task.

Personnel Training Manager

Personnel training manager 32 provides tools for an airline operator toassign instructors, students, classrooms and audio visual equipment tospecific training courses. Personnel training manager 32 furtherprovides access from DAMP manager 26 to personnel training records 16 toenable an airline to know exactly when and what training its employeesneed.

Personnel training manager 32 provides tools for an airline to assigninstructors, students, classrooms and audio visual equipment to specificcourses. Personnel training manager 32 further provides access topersonnel training records 16 to enable an airline to know exactly whenand what training its employees need.

Personnel training manager 32 allows an airline to organize personneltraining records 16 in a variety of formats, including lists of thoseindividuals requiring recurrent training in a specific course, thoseindividuals who are scheduled for training within a specified period oftime, those individuals who require recurrent training in a specificcourse, those individuals who require recurrent training in all courses,those individuals who are scheduled for training within a specified timeframe, those courses that are currently scheduled (along withcorresponding instructors and trainees) and those classrooms that areavailable.

As training occurs, personnel training manager 32 supplements personneltraining records 16 to incorporate information regarding training eachemployee receives, thereby keeping personnel records 16 up-to-date.Personnel training manager 32 keeps track of both classroom training andon-the-job training.

In addition, personnel training manager 32 compares personnel trainingrecords 16 with FAA training requirements 18 to monitor which tasks eachemployee is qualified to perform. By integrating personnel trainingmanager 32 with DAMP manager 26, crew leads can quickly ascertain whichmechanics have the training necessary to perform specific tasks, therebyensuring that only qualified mechanics are assigned to tasks. The FAAhas very strict standards regarding the training required of aircraftmechanics. Before a mechanic can independently perform a task, the FAArequires that the mechanic have either been previously supervisedperforming the task or been specifically trained for that task.

Another advantage of integrating personnel training manager 32 with DAMPmanager 26, is that employees, as well as maintenance management, areinstantly notified of the employee's training schedule.

Additionally, as employees are scheduled off the floor for training,DAMP manager 26 instantaneously makes adjustments to the number ofemployee hours available to complete maintenance of an aircraft. Thus,the production coordinator can immediately ascertain the effect ofremoving those employees from the work floor, and will be able to planthe maintenance production accordingly. If the production schedule isnegatively affected by the training (i.e., one or more days are added tothe production schedule), the production planner may schedule somepersonnel to work overtime or shift personnel in from other maintenancebays to make up the missing production hours. A production coordinatormay also consult with training personnel to reschedule the training tominimize harm to the production schedule (e.g., perhaps only six oftwelve employees scheduled for training will actually attend thetraining). Effectively, the management team is given early options tocontrol its production schedule.

Automatic Assigmnent of Employees

As mentioned in reference to step 170 of FIG. 8, DAMP manager 26 canintegrate with personnel training manager 32 to automatically assignemployees to tasks. DAMP manager 26 prioritizes the tasks within themaintenance program, analyzes data regarding training of employees(gained from personnel training manager 32), and assigns the bestmechanic to the job.

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram of the automatic task assignment component ofDAMP manager 26. At step 332, the auto-assign system receives aprioritized list of tasks to be accomplished in one to two days, and atstep 334, the auto-assign system receives personnel training data frompersonnel training manager 32. At step 336, the auto-assign systemcompares the available resources to the need resources to timelycomplete the maintenance check. If there is enough time and enoughmechanics to enable the completion of all necessary tasks within thenecessary time period, the auto-assign system will enter a trainingmode. In this training mode, at step 338, DAMP manager 26 will assign tospecific tasks, when possible, those mechanics who need on the jobtraining along with a mechanic who has the necessary training. To enablethis automatic training function, DAMP manager 26 analyzes themaintenance flow of the aircraft, how much maintenance time isremaining, how many tasks need to be accomplished, how many mechanicsare scheduled to work and personnel training records 16.

DAMP manager 26 continues to monitor the maintenance flow duringproduction. If maintenance flow falls behind schedule, the automaticassignment of tasks will switch from a training mode to a best skilledmode. In this mode, at step 340, each task is assigned the best skilledemployee(s) to ensure the timely completion of the maintenance check. Ifthe available resources become sufficient at anytime during the check,the auto-assign system can switch back to the training mode.Additionally, this automatic assignment of employees can be overwrittenby crew leads or production management at any time.

Implementation

According to the present invention, a system and method are provided fordynamically managing, in real-time, aircraft maintenance requirements.The system and method of the present invention brings a distributedcomputing framework of using client/server and Internet technologies tothe field of aircraft maintenance, allowing end-users to react quicklyto the dynamics of everyday events. The system and method of the presentinvention take advantage of a process of using the Internet browsertechnology to deliver real-time distributed software products for theaircraft maintenance industry.

Applications

The airline industry is formed of four tiers of airline operators: themajor airlines, the regional airlines, the corporate owners of smallfleets of aircraft and the individual (or private) owners of aircraft.Each of these tiers of operators has need for some-scaled version ofsystem 10 of the present invention. Certainly, an individual owner of asingle aircraft will have different needs that a multiple-hubbed majoraircraft operator of a large fleet of aircraft. Nonetheless, each of theabove-described components of system 10 has applicability to each tierof aircraft operators.

Application to Major Airlines

Major airlines typically operate a large and varying fleet of passengeraircraft. These operators generally fly into a large number of cities,with maintenance potentially occurring in any of those cities, and heavymaintenance bases in several of those cities. The major airlines standto lose a substantial amount of revenue each day one of its aircraft isgrounded due to maintenance. Therefore, one of the main priorities forthe major airline is to minimize the number of days that its aircraftremain in heavy maintenance (without sacrificing the airworthiness ofthe aircraft) by efficiently managing the completion of tasks duringheavy maintenance periods. For that reason, DAMP manager 26 is likelythe most important component of a major airline's maintenance managementprogram. Similarly, personnel training manager 32 aids the airline inensuring that their maintenance personnel are training

Application to Regional Airlines

Regional airlines will typically operate a much smaller fleet ofaircraft than the major airlines, with less variety in the type ofaircraft. Additionally, the aircraft owned by the regional airlines tendto be smaller than those owned by the major airlines, and tend torequire fewer maintenance tasks to keep them airworthy. Because of thesmaller scale of the regional airlines, they do not have the samemanpower and resources of the major airlines to create individualizedmaintenance programs. Thus, the regional airlines tend to be moreconcerned with simply gathering all of the information about theirmaintenance program in one place. For that reason, MRB program manager22 and tracking manager 24 are likely the most important components of aregional airline's maintenance management program. MRB program manager22 and tracking manager 24 will provide the regional airlines with thetools needed to organize their maintenance tasks into logical groupings,and to monitor those tasks for when they are due.

At the regional airlines, reliability analysis also suffers due to thelimited resources available to the regional airlines. A reliabilityprogram to monitor warranty issues and MRB document modifications is aparticularly complicated (and expensive) program to implement. Such aprogram simply requires a large number of resources (typicallypersonnel) to gather and analyze the large amount of data needed to (1)establish individual parts have met manufacturer's warranty, and (2)meet the FAA regulations for modifying one's MRB document. Thus,reliability manager 28 can be another key component to add to theirmaintenance management system.

Application to a General or Corporate Aviation Environment

Corporate and general aviation aircraft operators typically own one tofive aircraft. Often, the aircraft owned by corporate and individualoperators do not have MRB maintenance documents associated with them,but only a maintenance manual supplied by the aircraft manufacturer. Inlieu of an MRB maintenance document, the tasks and suggested performanceintervals listed in the maintenance manual can loaded into MRB programmanager 22 to create a well-organized maintenance program, and intotracking manager 24 to track the tasks listed in the maintenance manual.

Summary

The system and method of the present invention is a software systemdesigned for the multiple users of a production coordination systemwithin the aircraft maintenance industry. It allows mechanics tounderstand exactly what routine and non-routine items they are to workon, it allows the crew leads to assign tasks to crew members and queryas to what tasks are currently being worked on and by whom, and itprovides the managers the opportunity to compare actual time expended onaircraft compared to forecasted time and to adjust crew priorities inreal-time. Crew leads, managers and executive management can quicklyevaluate where the aircraft is in relation to the forecasted time of theaircraft check as to percentage complete and estimated time ofcompletion visually by the use of easy to-understand charts.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An aircraft maintenance tracking system fortracking aircraft maintenance required on an aircraft, the aircraftmaintenance tracking system comprising: means for tracking accumulatedusage data of the aircraft; means for receiving a list of routine tasksrequired to be performed on the aircraft, each routine task having acontrol point which defines an interval at which the routine task is tobe performed; means for tracking task accomplishment data for eachroutine task; means for determining a maintenance due point for eachroutine task, the maintenance due point being based upon the controlpoint and the accomplishment data of the routine task; means foridentifying maintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which adifference between the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; and means for reporting maintenance due tasks.
 2. Anaircraft maintenance tracking system for tracking aircraft maintenancerequired on an aircraft, the aircraft maintenance tracking systemcomprising: means for tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft,wherein the accumulated usage data includes a number of accumulatedflight hours and a number of accumulated flight cycles of the aircraft,as well as a current date; means for receiving a list of routine tasksrequired to be performed on the aircraft, each routine task having acontrol point which defines an interval at which the routine task is tobe performed; means for tracking task accomplishment data for eachroutine task; means for determining a maintenance due point for eachroutine task, the maintenance due point being based upon the controlpoint and the accomplishment data of the routine task; means foridentifying maintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which adifference between the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; and means for reporting maintenance due tasks.
 3. Anaircraft maintenance tracking system for tracking aircraft maintenancerequired on an aircraft, the aircraft maintenance tracking systemcomprising: means for tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft;means for receiving a list of routine tasks required to be performed onthe aircraft, each routine task having a control point which defines aninterval at which the routine task is to be performed, wherein the listof routine tasks is derived from a Maintenance Review Board document forthe aircraft; means for tracking task accomplishment data for eachroutine task; means for determining a maintenance due point for eachroutine task, the maintenance due point being based upon the controlpoint and the accomplishment data of the routine task; means foridentifying maintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which adifference between the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; and means for reporting maintenance due tasks.
 4. Anaircraft maintenance tracking system for tracking aircraft maintenancerequired on an aircraft, the aircraft maintenance tracking systemcomprising: means for tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft;means for receiving a list of routine tasks required to be performed onthe aircraft, each routine task having a control point which defines aninterval at which the routine task is to be performed, wherein the listof routine tasks comprises Maintenance Review Board tasks andmaintenance task groups, wherein the Maintenance Review Board tasks arederived from a Maintenance Review Board document for the aircraft andthe maintenance task groups are groupings of Maintenance Review Boardtasks; means for tracking task accomplishment data for each routinetask; means for determining a maintenance due point for each routinetask, the maintenance due point being based upon the control point andthe accomplishment data of the routine task; means for identifyingmaintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which a differencebetween the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; and means for reporting maintenance due tasks.
 5. Anaircraft maintenance tracking system for tracking aircraft maintenancerequired on an aircraft, the aircraft maintenance tracking systemcomprising: means for tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft;means for receiving a list of routine tasks required to be performed onthe aircraft, each routine task having a control point which defines aninterval at which the routine task is to be performed; means fortracking task accomplishment data for each routine task, wherein taskaccomplishment data includes a maintenance date on which the routinetask was completed, as well as a number of flight hours and flightcycles accumulated on the aircraft by the maintenance date; means fordetermining a maintenance due point for each routine task, themaintenance due point being based upon the control point and theaccomplishment data of the routine task; means for identifyingmaintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which a differencebetween the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; and means for reporting maintenance due tasks.
 6. Anaircraft maintenance tracking system for tracking aircraft maintenancerequired on an aircraft, the aircraft maintenance tracking systemcomprising: means for tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft;means for receiving a list of routine tasks required to be performed onthe aircraft, each routine task having a control point which defines aninterval at which the routine task is to be performed; means fortracking task accomplishment data for each routine task; means fordetermining a maintenance due point for each routine task, themaintenance due point being based upon the control point and theaccomplishment data of the routine task; means for identifyingmaintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which a differencebetween the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; means for reporting maintenance due tasks; means forreceiving a list of non-routine tasks required to be performed on theaircraft, each non-routine task having a maintenance due point by whichthe non-routine task must be performed; means for identifyingnon-routine maintenance due tasks as those non-routine tasks for which adifference between the maintenance due point of the non-routine task andthe accumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; and means for reporting non-routine maintenance duetasks.
 7. An aircraft maintenance tracking system for tracking aircraftmaintenance required on an aircraft, the aircraft maintenance trackingsystem being implemented over a communication medium operably connectedto a plurality of input/output devices each having means for inputtingand outputting information, the aircraft maintenance tracking systemcomprising: means for tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft;means for receiving a list of routine tasks required to be performed onthe aircraft, each routine task having a control point which defines aninterval at which the routine task is to be performed; means fortracking task accomplishment data for each routine task; means fordetermining a maintenance due point for each routine task, themaintenance due point being based upon the control point and theaccomplishment data of the routine task; means for identifyingmaintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which a differencebetween the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; and means for reporting maintenance due tasks.
 8. Theaircraft maintenance tracking system of claim 7 wherein thecommunication medium is a digital communications network.
 9. A methodfor tracking aircraft maintenance required on an aircraft, the methodcomprising: tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft; receiving alist of routine tasks required to be performed on the aircraft, eachroutine task having a control point which defines an interval at whichthe routine task is to be performed; tracking task accomplishment datafor each routine task; determining a maintenance due point for eachroutine task, the maintenance due point being based upon the controlpoint and the accomplishment data of the routine task; identifyingmaintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which a differencebetween the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; and reporting maintenance due tasks.
 10. A method fortracking aircraft maintenance required on an aircraft, the methodcomprising: tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft, wherein theaccumulated usage data includes a number of accumulated flight hours anda number of accumulated flight cycles of the aircraft, as well as acurrent date; receiving a list of routine tasks required to be performedon the aircraft, each routine task having a control point which definesan interval at which the routine task is to be performed; tracking taskaccomplishment data for each routine task; determining a maintenance duepoint for each routine task, the maintenance due point being based uponthe control point and the accomplishment data of the routine task;identifying maintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which adifference between the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; and reporting maintenance due tasks.
 11. A method fortracking aircraft maintenance required on an aircraft, the methodcomprising: tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft; receiving alist of routine tasks required to be performed on the aircraft, eachroutine task having a control point which defines an interval at whichthe routine task is to be performed, wherein the list of routine tasksis derived from a Maintenance Review Board document for the aircraft;tracking task accomplishment data for each routine task; determining amaintenance due point for each routine task, the maintenance due pointbeing based upon the control point and the accomplishment data of theroutine task; identifying maintenance due tasks as those routine tasksfor which a difference between the maintenance due point of the routinetask and the accumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than auser-defined critical value; and reporting maintenance due tasks.
 12. Amethod for tracking aircraft maintenance required on an aircraft, themethod comprising: tracking accumulated usage data of the aircraft;receiving a list of routine tasks required to be performed on theaircraft, each routine task having a control point which defines aninterval at which the routine task is to be performed, wherein the listof routine tasks comprises Maintenance Review Board tasks andmaintenance task groups, wherein the Maintenance Review Board tasks arederived from a Maintenance Review Board document for the aircraft andthe maintenance task groups are groupings of Maintenance Review Boardtasks; tracking task accomplishment data for each routine task;determining a maintenance due point for each routine task, themaintenance due point being based upon the control point and theaccomplishment data of the routine task; identifying maintenance duetasks as those routine tasks for which a difference between themaintenance due point of the routine task and the accumulated usage dataof the aircraft is less than a user-defined critical value; andreporting maintenance due tasks.
 13. A method for tracking aircraftmaintenance required on an aircraft, the method comprising: trackingaccumulated usage data of the aircraft; receiving a list of routinetasks required to be performed on the aircraft, each routine task havinga control point which defines an interval at which the routine task isto be performed; tracking task accomplishment data for each routinetask, wherein task accomplishment data includes a maintenance date onwhich the routine task was completed, as well as a number of flighthours and flight cycles accumulated on the aircraft by the maintenancedate; determining a maintenance due point for each routine task, themaintenance due point being based upon the control point and theaccomplishment data of the routine task; identifying maintenance duetasks as those routine tasks for which a difference between themaintenance due point of the routine task and the accumulated usage dataof the aircraft is less than a user-defined critical value; andreporting maintenance due tasks.
 14. A method for tracking aircraftmaintenance required on an aircraft, the method comprising: trackingaccumulated usage data of the aircraft; receiving a list of routinetasks required to be performed on the aircraft, each routine task havinga control point which defines an interval at which the routine task isto be performed; tracking task accomplishment data for each routinetask; determining a maintenance due point for each routine task, themaintenance due point being based upon the control point and theaccomplishment data of the routine task; identifying maintenance duetasks as those routine tasks for which a difference between themaintenance due point of the routine task and the accumulated usage dataof the aircraft is less than a user-defined critical value; reportingmaintenance due tasks; receiving a list of non-routine tasks required tobe performed on the aircraft, each non-routine task having a maintenancedue point by which the non-routine task must be performed; identifyingnon-routine maintenance due tasks as those non-routine tasks for which adifference between the maintenance due point of the non-routine task andthe accumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; and reporting non-routine maintenance due tasks.
 15. Amethod for tracking aircraft maintenance required on an aircraft, themethod being operable over a communication medium operably connected toa plurality of input/output devices each having means for inputting andoutputting information, the method comprising: tracking accumulatedusage data of the aircraft; receiving a list of routine tasks requiredto be performed on the aircraft, each routine task having a controlpoint which defines an interval at which the routine task is to beperformed; tracking task accomplishment data for each routine task;determining a maintenance due point for each routine task, themaintenance due point being based upon the control point and theaccomplishment data of the routine task; identifying maintenance duetasks as those routine tasks for which a difference between themaintenance due point of the routine task and the accumulated usage dataof the aircraft is less than a user-defined critical value; andreporting maintenance due tasks.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein thecommunication medium is the digital communication network.
 17. Anaircraft maintenance tracking system for tracking aircraft maintenancerequired for a fleet of aircraft, the system comprising: means fortracking accumulated aircraft usage data for each aircraft in the fleetof aircraft; means for receiving, for each aircraft in the fleet ofaircraft, a list of routine tasks required to be performed on theaircraft, each routine task having a control point which defines aninterval at which the routine task must be performed; means for trackingtask accomplishment data for each routine task; means for determining amaintenance due point for each routine task, the maintenance due pointbeing based upon the control point and accomplishment data of theroutine task; means for identifying maintenance due tasks as thoseroutine tasks for which a difference between the maintenance due pointof the routine task and the accumulated usage data of the aircraft isless than a user-defined critical value; and means for reportingmaintenance due tasks.
 18. An aircraft maintenance tracking system fortracking aircraft maintenance required for a fleet of aircraft, thesystem comprising: means for tracking accumulated aircraft usage datafor each aircraft in the fleet of aircraft; means for receiving, foreach aircraft in the fleet of aircraft, a list of routine tasks requiredto be performed on the aircraft, each routine task having a controlpoint which defines an interval at which the routine task must beperformed; means for tracking task accomplishment data for each routinetask; means for determining a maintenance due point for each routinetask, the maintenance due point being based upon the control point andaccomplishment data of the routine task; means for identifyingmaintenance due tasks as those routine tasks for which a differencebetween the maintenance due point of the routine task and theaccumulated usage data of the aircraft is less than a user-definedcritical value; means for reporting maintenance due tasks; means forreceiving, for each aircraft in the fleet of aircraft, a list ofnon-routine tasks required to be performed on the aircraft, eachnon-routine task having a maintenance due date by which the non-routinetask must be performed; means for identifying non-routine maintenancedue tasks as those non-routine tasks for which a difference between themaintenance due point of the non-routine task and the accumulated usagedata of the aircraft is less than a user-defined critical value; andmeans for reporting non-routine maintenance due tasks.
 19. An aircraftmaintenance tracking system for tracking aircraft maintenance requiredfor a fleet of aircraft, the aircraft maintenance tracking system beingimplemented over a communication medium operably connected to aplurality of input/output devices each having means for inputting andoutputting information, the system comprising: means for trackingaccumulated aircraft usage data for each aircraft in the fleet ofaircraft; means for receiving, for each aircraft in the fleet ofaircraft, a list of routine tasks required to be performed on theaircraft, each routine task having a control point which defines aninterval at which the routine task must be performed; means for trackingtask accomplishment data for each routine task; means for determining amaintenance due point for each routine task, the maintenance due pointbeing based upon the control point and accomplishment data of theroutine task; means for identifying maintenance due tasks as thoseroutine tasks for which a difference between the maintenance due pointof the routine task and the accumulated usage data of the aircraft isless than a user-defined critical value; and means for reportingmaintenance due tasks.
 20. The aircraft maintenance tracking system ofclaim 19 wherein the communication medium is a digital communicationnetwork.